Jeremiah 12/27/70
A. Sacrifice of children is forbidden in Lev 18:21, 20:1-5. God anticipated the Jews’ contact with heathen Gentiles like the Canaanites. All God’s warnings about such problems were designed by God to protect Judah.
B. The worship of Molech was associated with child sacrifice. Molech is the name of the second image of the phallic cult and is equivalent to Baal, which means “lord,” 2 Kg 23:10; Jer 32:35. Screams of burning children were used to arouse the sexual activities at the statue. The mother was attacked and raped, and the screams of the mother and child blended in a worship of Molech.
C. Solomon became apostate and built high places for the worship of Molech, 1 Kg 11:7.
D. King Ahaz burned his children in sacrifice in 730 B.C., 2 Chr 28:3.
E. Manasseh offered his children, 2 Kg 21:6.
F. Samaria was judged for child sacrifice, 2 Kg 17:17.
G. Josiah destroyed the high places of Molech, 2 Kg 23:10,13. But when he died in battle, the Jews returned to the phallic cult through Josiah’s eldest son, Jehoiakim.
H. The true prophet always condemned the cults, Jer. 7:29-34; Amos 5:26; Ezek 16:20-22.
I. A special place was finally used for child sacrifice. In Jer 19, the Hebrew word TOPETH or TOPH means a drum. They used to beat the drums as they threw the children into the fire. This was in the Valley of Hinnom, Jer 19:2, 7:31. Jeremiah’s famous sermon on the potter’s judgment was against the practice of child sacrifice,
Jer 19:11-14.
J. Child sacrifice occurs where there is great demonism, and where the phallic cult is in full swing. Human sacrifice is a great part of the African culture.
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© 1989, by R. B. Thieme, Jr. All rights reserved.
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